Report of the Royal Ontario Museum of Zoology: October 1st, 1944 - September 30th, 1945

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REPORT OF THE ROYAL ONTARIO MUSEUM
OF ZOOLOGY

605

1944-

1945

October 1st, 1944 - September 50th, 1945

INTRODUCTION

In preparing this report, I have been impressed by the amount of infor¬
mation and assistance which the Museum has given to a great number of institu¬
tions and individuals. The following partial list will indicate the extent
and variety of this service which brings us no public acclaim, but is in the
aggregate an enormous service to the people of Ontario, and to some extent to
all of Canada:

Professor J. R„ Dymond at the request of the Ontario Department of Lands
and Forests again supervised a programme of nature education in Algonquin
Park designed to spread a knowledge and appreciation of nature among Park
visitors. It is expected that with the end of the war a permanent Park natur¬
alist will be trained and nature education in Provincial Parks placed on a
more satisfactory basis, including the establishment of Park Museums, The
Museum of Zoology is co-operating with the Department of Lands and Forests
in this important advance in nature education and research.

Dr. Urquhart assisted during the summer 'with the research on spruce bud-
worm in Algonquin Park. Much material was obtained which will be of assist¬
ance both in connection with University teaching and research in the important
field of forest entomology

Mr. Hope co-operated with Dr Clarke of the Ontario Department of Lands
snd Forests in a new research project in Algonquin Park. This project has as
its object the study of the natural changes which occur in a forest as its
composition changes with the passage of time The interaction between the
animal life of the -forest — mammals, birds, insects, etc. — and the plant
life including the trees, is necessary in the proper management of a forest

Dr, Oughton again accompanied a party sent by the Fisheries Research
Board of Canada to investigate the fisheries of Great Slave Lake. This ar¬
rangement is of mutual benefit to the Museum and the Board. We secure many
specimens of fish, molluscs, insects, etc,, which adds to our knowledge of the
taxonomy and distribution of these forms, while the Fisheries Research Board
profits by Dr. Oughton's knowledge of the animal life of lake bottoms, which
is an important factor in determining the productivity of lakes.

Dr. C. H. D. Clarke, who was appointed a year ago to the staff of the
Department of Lands and Forests to supervise wildlife research in the Provin¬
cial Parks, has been given office space in one of the Museum's rooms, which
otherwise houses our collection of lantern slides, photographs, etc. By this
arrangement Dr. Clarke has the use of our library and intimate contact with
our staff, which is of mutual advantage.

Last winter Miss Audrey Saunders who Y*as engaged in writing a history of
Algonquin Park for the Department of Lands and Forests, was given space in a
small room on our fifth floor Her work was carried out under the supervision
of an honorary committee, of which Professor Dymond was Chairman, appointed by
the Department of Lands and Forests,

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The Department of Planning and Development was given space for the
Slimmer in a basement room which was temporarily not in use ,

The National Film Board has been given assistance in connection with the
preparation of a film strip to be used by the Department of Fisheries in
training prospective fisheries officers. This film strip will also be useful
in other forms of education in fisheries For use in this connection the
Film Board intend to photograph in colour our exhibition series of coloured
casts of Canadian fish. This film strip could not be prepared, at least in
anything approaching completeness, within a reasonable time, if our collection
had not been available For a few casts lacking from our collection it may
be necessary to depend on the American Museum of Natural History, New York,

Assistance was given to Professor Griffith Taylor, Department of Geog¬
raphy, University of Toronto, in the preparation of maps for use in a
geography textbook

A named collection of fish was donated to the University of Montreal,

A named collection of freshwater molluscs was given to the Fisheries
School, Ste Anne de la Pocatiere, Quebec,

Professor Wynne-Edwards of McGill University, when lecturing in Toronto,
spent some time in the Museum examining a collection of northern fishes in
connection with his work on the fisheries of the Mackenzie River,

Messrs, Snyder, Baillie and Shortt prepared a lengthy memo, and manusc¬
ript list for the American Ornithologists' Union Check-list Committee on
English names for bird species and range-limit statement in respect to Ontario,

fir, Baillie read the manuscript of a paper by J. A, Munro on the Birds
of the Caribou Range. Mr. Shortt also supplied Mr Munro with notes, list
of specimens, etc,, from 1944 fieldwork in British Columbia to be used by
him in "Birds of British Columbia".

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Notes on geographical distribution and variation of land snails of Ont¬
ario sent to Dr. H. A. Pilsbury, Philadelphia Academy of Sciences, for use
in his monograph on the Land Mollusca of North America.

Mr. Snyder read Biology portions of manuscript of book on causes of war.

Messrs Shortt and Hope extracted wild fowl data from files of our 1939
and 1942 James Bay expeditions for R. H Smith, of the United States Fish and
Wildlife Service .

The MacMillan Company appealed to the Museum as to the authenticity of
certain natural history statements in a manuscript submitted to them for
publication.

Advice on courses to be taken or openings in the wildlife field given to
twenty ex-service personnel.

Miss Clare Wallace was given information for use in her broadcasts on cats,
ants, snakes, bird migration, etc.

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Mr. Gordon Sinclair was given information for use in. an article on
snakes contributed to McLean's Magazine,

Writers for "Rod and Gun" were given information on fluctuations in
animal numbers, varying hares, Ontario salmon, relation of carp to game fish,
muskrats, etc

The Editor of the Hudson's Bay Company publication "The Beaver" asked to
examine a series of moose antlers in connection with some art work for the
Hudson's Bay Company

The Editor of Ontario Hunters' .and Anglers' Bulletin was given infor¬
mation on the food of Terns .

Information on Mountain Sheep was given a free-lance writer for use in a
magazine article .

The chief naturalist of Ducks Unlimited asked our advice in connection
with a proposed wildlife research programme,

A collection of butterflies was loaned to a Catholic summer school.

Dr. A. E, Warren, McMaster University, was given information on the fauna

of the Hamilton region.

Mr. Shortt made a colour drawing of Baikal Teal as frontispiece for the
March Wilson Bulletin, to illustrate an article by Delacour and Mayr, The use
of this illustration xvas later requested by A. M. Bailey, of the Colorado
Museum of Natural History for his "Birds of the Arctic Slope of Alaska".

An official of a pest control organization wanted information on the
northward distribution of rats,

Dr. W, S» Hoar, University of New Brunswick, asked for information on
repair of bone injuries in wild animals.

Advice to "Canadian Nature" on lay-out of Canadian mammals for a popular

booklet ,

Two Ontario College of Education students were given information on the
fur trade in Canada in preparation for their instructing a group of other
Ontario College of Education students in the gallery.

Information on the status of beaver farming to a man interested in the
industry was given,

A mounted skunk was loaned to a commercial firm in connection with the
Victory Loan campaign

A collection of marine shells was given the Ontario College of Art for
use by their classes.

Numerous specimens including beaver, great horned owl, muskrat, wood¬
chuck, etc., loaned to schools.

Digitized by the Internet Archive

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in 2019 with funding from
Royal Ontario Museum

https://archive.org/details/annualreportofro4445roya

Many lantern slides loaned to naturalists , teachers , etc. One man to
whom a collection of slides was loaned showed them to 7 schools, 5 church
groups and 2 clubs .

Artists from advertising firms and other institutions frequently borrow
specimens or consult us for natural history information.

The city newspapers commonly consult the Museum for natural history in¬
formation and sometimes for photographs.

Dozens of requests are received each year for identification of house¬
hold pests including termites and advice given as to how to get rid of them.

Club Coffee Company wanted information on the possible use of coffee
chaff as an insulating material, the problem being the possibility of infest¬
ation by insects feeding on such material

Among the institutions for which specimens have been identified are:
Ontario Department of Game and Fisheries, Federal Department of Fisheries,
Belleville Parasite laboratory, Fisheries Research Board of Canada, Universi¬
ties of Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia, and Dominion Stores, At
least 1,570 individual specimens have been identified for individuals and the
institutions mentioned above,

A selection of the subjects on which people have sought information in¬
clude: flightless birds, mechanics of flight, sea life, feeding of city
cottontails, colour changes in Canadian hares, how the oriole builds its nest,
occurrence of snow buntings in summer, history and habits of birds of paradise,
bats flying about in winter, gestation period of elephants, squirrels in New¬
foundland, control of bats, etc.

Members of the staff addressed 55 groups, including 3,159 individuals.

The groups addressed included organizations in Ottawa, Hamilton and Belleville,
as well as Toronto. Most of them were outside the Museum,

Mr, Howard Westman from Natural History Museum of Kansas was given infor¬
mation and technical advice on modeling and mounting large mammals.

Above are listed the more important requests made to the Museum for ser¬
vice and information. However, what appears to us a trivial or unintelligent
request is usually of importance to the one who makes it. We do not keep a
list of all requests that come to us, but they come in a constant stream.

THE MUSEUM AND THE UNIVERSITY

The extent of the contribution of the Museum to the University is not
generally appreciated.

Professor Dymond is now conducting four University classes in his own room
because the Zoology class room in the Museum was needed by the Department of
University Extension for a class in physiotherapy Three of these classes are
graduate classes and one undergraduate . For three of them reference to Museum
specimens both in the gallery and in the research collections is a necessary pa:
of the instruction. The course in systematic ichthyology, a necessary part of

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fisheries biology, could not be given successfully without the use of an ex¬
tensive collection of fishes . Another course to be given after Christmas,
namely, that on game management for Forestry students, will be illustrated by
reference to Museum specimens ,

Many graduate students in connection with their individual research
problems depend to an extent, varying from much to little, on Museum collec¬
tions of fish, birds, mammals, insects, molluscs, etc., and on our specialized
library ,

With the increasing emphasis on research and education in connection with
the management of our forests and wildlife, Museum staff members who are not
members of the University, including especially Mr. Snyder, Dr . Oughton and
Dr. Urquhart, but to some extent others, will be called on for advice and
assistance in connection with problems involving the animal life of forests,
lakes and streams.

Two graduate students are now provided with room space in the Museum.

This relieves to some extent the congestion in the Biology Building where
with the great increase in graduate students, three or four are sometimes
forced to share one small room, to the consequent detriment to their work.

THE COLLECTIONS

The number of specimens added in the various groups during the past year
is as follows;

Donated

Collected

Purchased

Exchanged

Total

Mammals

128

24

1

1

154

Birds

Nests and sets

568

273

348

—

1,189

of eggs

37

9

—

—

46

Reptiles

22

2

—

—

24

Amphibians

49

47

—

—

96

Fish

200

11

—

—

211

Insects

1,101

583

—

—

1,684

Spiders

131

1,015

—

—

1,146

Molluscs

40

150

—

153

343

Other invertebrates

21

15

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36

2,297

2,129

349

154

4,929

Donations :

No very large donations were received during the year Among the more

noteworthy were;

Colonel L» S, Dear, Port Arthur - nest of Brewer’s blackbird, the first re¬
cord of its breeding in Ontario.

W. J. Freeman, International Nickel Company, Port Colborne - 45 birds killed
by lighted smoke-stock,

Mrs. L. deK. Lawrence, Rutherglen - nest of Evening Grosbeak, second record
of its breeding in Ontario.

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San Waller, The Pas, Manitoba - 36 birds and 5 nests or sets of eggs.,

0, Desmond Boggs, Cobourg - 49 bird-skins, 5 nests and 8 sets of eggs from
the MacKenzie River, N W.. T.

Pilot-Officer Harry G Lumsden, R.C.A.F , Sluie House, Banchory, Aberdeen¬
shire, Scotland - 18 bird-skins from Nova Scotia and Florida «

Lieuw Thomas H, Manning, R.C.N.V.R., 350 Somerset Street, Ottawa - 108 bird-
skins from Ungava -

Robert H. Smith, U-. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Winona, Minn. - 9 bird-
skins from James Bay, Ontario, including initial breeding records for
Ontario for King Eider, 01d~scuaw Duck and Black-throated Loon

H. J. Hawkey, 45 Dovercourt Road, Toronto - pedigreed ChesapeakeBay dog

N. E Hawkins, Oak Ridges - Pedigreed Newfoundland dog

Dr, VI E. chute, 173 Woolwich Street, Guelph - Pedigreed Doberman Pinscher
dog .

Mr. Wo J. Eyerdam, Seattle, Washington - a small but valuable collection of
molluscs containing some lots from the Aleutian Islands and other points
of interest to studies of circumpolar faunas.

Mr. Paul Hahn, Toronto - 467 European Lepidoptera.

Mrs. C. H. Tyrer, Toronto - 520 Local Lepidoptera.

Dr. D. S. Rawson, University of Saskatchewan., for Fisheries Research Board
of Canada - 190 fish.

Dr. J. C. Medcof, Atlantic Biological Station - 12 lots of molluscs.

Mr. Sprague 'Troyer, Oak Ridges - largest garter snake ever recorded, 50 inches.

Miss Macnamara, Arnprior - wildlife photographs, the work of her late brother,
Chao, Macnamara, an outstanding naturalist and photographer.

Colly c ted by Staff :

C. E- Hope - 57 birds and 6 nests or sets of eggs.

T. M. Shortt - 201 birds and 3 nests or sets of eggs.

F. A Urquhart - 583 insects.

J, C- Oughton - collections made at Great Slave Lake not yet accessioned

Purchased :

348 bird-skins from Baffin Island, purchased from Lt Thos . Manning,

Third Ontario specimen of gray fox and the first west of Lake Superior

THE LIBRARY

Additions to the Library were as follows:

Donated

Purchased

Total

Bound books

30

22

52

Bound periodicals

2

1

5

Unbound periodicals

977

74

1,051

Separates and reprints

223

1

224

440 items were borrowed from the Library, which is essentially a refer¬
ence library, but loans are made in exceptional circumstances.

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ROUTINE WORK WITH THE COLLECTIONS

The care of the collection against loss or injury from insects, dust
and drying up of those preserved in alcohol, is one of the never-ending
tasks of a Museum, whose first duty is the preservation of material.

Specimens prepared for, included in the collection and catalogued were as
follows :

Specimens prepared for Specimens labelled
Division _ Storage _ and catalogued

Mammals 21 plus 50 skulls and

5 skeletons 159

Birds 314 plus 7 mounted skeletons 1,654

Reptiles and amphibians

Fishes 78 78

Insects 2,825 2,825

Spiders 144 lots 144 lots

Molluscs 250 250

RESEARCH

B L. the Museum Staff :

As outlined in the introduction to this report, various members of the
staff assisted in field studies at the request of members of Government De¬
partments, both Federal and Provincial,

Population studies of small mammals in Algonquin Park were continued
for the seventh season. The information accumulated in connection with this
research will be of value in connection with a study being undertaken by the
Department of Lands and Forests on the effect of small mammals on forest re¬
generation ,

T, M. Shortt collected in the Lake Athabasca region to secure material
to fill out blanks in our bird collection,

Mr. Snyder and Mr. Shortt completed a study of variation in ruffed
grouse and we believe have made an important contribution to the subject of
raciation among animals.

Mr, Snyder continued the ecological studies recently undertaken on a
small area in King Township,

Mr, Kurata accompanied Professor Wilton Ivie of the University of Utah
on a collecting trip in Algonquin Park.

The compilation of information on changes in bird and mammal populations
through several hundred correspondents was continued for the tenth year. Al¬
though it has not been possible, through lack of staff, to compile and co¬
ordinate this information, the raw data being accumulated will be a source
of information in the future for those interested in changing populations
of wildlife ,

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Knowledge about the animal life of the Province is constantly being in¬
creased by studies of staff members in their appropriate fields. It is hoped
within a year or two to publish a. five hundred page book on the Vertebrates
of Ontario (fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals) making available
to schools and interested individuals the knowledge that has gradually accu¬
mulated in the Museum Much of this information is not now available in any
printed form.

EXHIBITION

New mounts prepared for gallery exhibition include ra.ccoon, beaver,
nutria and Doberman Pinscher dog

An exhibit entitled "Parasitic Worms and Man" was installed

Mr , Kurata made a model of a fish found seven years ago off the coast
of South Africa, which belongs to a group of fishes which was, up until that
time, believed to have been extinct fifty million years- Mr. Kurata1 s model
was made entirely from descriptions of the specimen and photographs. The
model has not yet been painted for exhibition.

A section of comb made by honey bees outside any hive or hollow tree
was placed on exhibition.

Temporary exhibits arranged during the year included one entitled
"Making a Museum Exhibit" and another one "Natural History Photography as a
Hobby". Also exhibits of fern photographs, by Bruce Metcalfe j nature photo¬
graphs by Grace Malkin ; Spring birds of the Toronto Region, Winter Birds of
the Toronto Region, and an exhibit illustrating the life and works of some
early Ontario Naturalists .

The usual Easter exhibit of tropical fish was arranged by the Toronto
Aquarium Society.

Living specimens of fish, amphibians an d reptiles, we re kept constantly
on exhibition in the aquarium and in the reptile alcove .

PUBLICATIONS

Three publications in the Museum's series have been issued during the

year:

Contribution No 26, Charles Fothergill (1782-1840) By Jas . L. Baillie, Jr.

Occasional Paper No. 8, Two New -Species of Ontario Spiders, By T. B. Kurata.

Mimeographed Leaflet No. 1, The Keeping of Fish, Amphibians and Reptiles
in Aquaria and Terraria, By E, B. S, Logier.

Other publications which have appeared in scientific journals and other
publications include:

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J L Baillle , Jr :

Charles Fothergill 1782-1840 - Can, Hist Rev 25: 576-96.

"Obituary E G Me Doug all" - U. of T Monthly , 45:99
Eric Graham McDougall - Broclie Club Proc , No 9.

Eagles - Canadian Nature 7:75-77, 1945
Short-eared Owls - Canadian Nature 7:126-129, 1945.

S , C , Downing :

Color Changes in Mammal Skins during Preparation - Jour Mamm. 26:128-152, 1945,
J. Rc Dvmond:

Distribution of the Cyprinid Fishes N^ deliciosus end volucellus in Ontario
Can , Field-Nat. 58:195, 1945,

Co E, Hope and T M, Shortt:

Southward Migration of Adult Shorebirds on the West Coast of James Bay,

Ontario - Auk 61:572-576, 1944,

E. B, S, Logier:

Canadian Turtles - Canadian Nature 6:174-175, 1944,

Nesting of Turtles - Canadian Nature 7:88, 1945.

The Keeping of Fish, Amphibians and Reptiles in Aquaria and Terraria - Royal
Ontario Museum of Zoology Mimeographed Leaflet No 1, 1945=

J . G Oughton :

Some Canadian Freshwater Mussels - Canadian Nature 6:102-103, 1944,

Great Slave Lake - Nautilus 58:73-79, 1945=

T M Shortt :

Four pages of illustrations in Canadian Nature

Colour plate of Baikal Teal - 'Wilson Bull. Vol 57, Frontispiece,

L L Snyder :

Birds in a Prairie Grove - Canadian Nature 6:156, 1944
Bears - Canadian Nature 7:20-25, 1945

On the Arctic Beach and Tundra - Canadian Nature 7:26, 1945,

Birds in a Northern Forest - Canadian Nature 7:84, 1945-

The above bird articles illustrated by Mr-. Shortt re-published as a 32.-page
booklet under the title "Canadian Birds" by Canadian Nature,’

The W. E Saunders Collection - Canadian Field-Naturalist 58:192, 1944,

The Mute Swan in Ontario - Canadian Field-Naturalist 58:193, 1944,

Dayton Stoner 1883-1944 - Jour, Mamm, 26:111-113, 1945,

F, A, Urquhart:

Humming-bird Moths - Canadian Nature 6:180, 1944j 7:62, 1945

VISITORS

The following are the names of a few of the many out-of-town visitors to
the Museum of Zoology:

Hon, Mr, Bertrand, when Minister of Fisheries, Ottawa,

Major D, H- Sutherland, Assistant Deputy Minister of Fisheries, Ottawa
Dr, A Byron Leonard, of the University of Kansas, to inspect- our collection
of Ontario land shells

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Lieut. T H Manning, Ottawa ,

.Mr o Norris-Elye, Director of the Manitoba Museum.

Dr. Kendeigh, University of Illinois.

Dr. Doutt and Dr. W. E. Clyde Todd, Carnegie Museum, Pittsburgh.

Dr, H. Lev»is and Dr, 0, Hewitt, National Parks Bureau, Ottawa.

Dr, Wo E, Ricker, Indiana University,

Dr, W. A, Clemens, University of British Columbia,

Mr. J, A. Munro, Okanagan Landing, British Columbia.

Dr, R, E, Foerster, Dr. J, L Hart, Dr, A. L, Pritchard, Dr A. L. Tester
and Mr, F, Neave, Pacific Biological Station, Nanaimo, B, C,

Mr. B. Cartwright, Ducks Unlimited, Winnipeg.

Mr, Napier Smith, Montreal,

Mr, J, L. McKeever, Peterborough,

Colonel T, D Patterson, London, Ontario.

Mr, Wilson, Editor of The Beaver, Winnipeg,

Mr. H. C. Hanson, Urbana, Illinois,

OFFICE AMD CLERICAL

The number of letters and other pieces of mail sent out by the Museum
is an indication of the increasing use being made of the Museum by the
public The folloY/ing were mailed during the year;

Letters

Publications

Parcels

Postcards

Questionnaires

Miscellaneous

2,492

668

99

95

601

157

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